Hollywood Director 1992

"Ben, what are you looking at?"

"Ah! Matt, you scared me to death! How can you walk without making a sound?"

Inside the villa, Ben Affleck clutched his pounding heart and glanced resentfully at Matt Damon.

"You're just too focused. My footsteps are heavy."

Matt Damon stomped his feet on the floor and looked at the newspaper in Ben Affleck's hand. "Pornographic magazine?"

"What pornographic magazine? This is the genuine 'USA Today.'"

Ben Affleck picked up the newspaper and displayed it to prove his innocence.

"How could reading USA Today scare you like that?"

"Matt, do you believe in witches and ghosts?"

"Of course witches exist. I've heard of them back home, but they're mostly ordinary people, not as magical as the rumors say."

"I'm telling you, witches are real. There's a witch in the town of Willton, northwest of Rock Island, Illinois.

In the past decade, 12 tourists have disappeared while traveling in the town's forest. Police reports say the tourists died due to storms and other natural disasters.

But when reporters investigated locally, villagers said that a witch named Blair lives deep in the forest of Willton.

She's said to be over 100 years old, and many people have seen Blair's witch in the forest in the past few years.

Every time the witch appears, someone in the town dies.

The people in the town believe Blair Witch is the Grim Reaper and are very afraid of her appearance.

After this incident spread, many people ran to the town's forest to explore, but died in the forest. The villagers believe the witch killed them."

Ben Affleck vividly recounted the investigative report about the Blair Witch in the newspaper.

In addition to the investigative report, there were also photos of five missing people, as well as terrifying images taken by reporters in the forest.

Matt Damon looked at the black and white photos in the newspaper and felt very uncomfortable.

Compared to people in other parts of the United States, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who were born in Massachusetts, were more likely to believe in the existence of witches.

Because in January of this year, the Massachusetts legislature passed a resolution to exonerate the 20 victims who died in the Salem witch trials 300 years ago.

In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, a pastor's daughter suddenly developed a strange illness, and people believed it was the work of a witch.

As the witch case continued to expand, 19 people were sentenced to hanging by the court, and 1 person was stoned to death, including 13 women who were executed as evil witches.

This is a real case that happened in American history.

And Salem is now Boston, less than five kilometers away from Cambridge, where Matt Damon and Ben Affleck grew up.

They had also heard this story as children.

At the beginning of the year, the Massachusetts legislature exonerated the 20 victims who died in the witch trials 300 years ago. Matt Damon had also seen this kind of news at home.

In fact, unlike what the media reported, according to the Boston Museum, more than 20 people died in the witch trial incident.

In the years that followed, more than sixty people died unnaturally because they were involved in this trial.

Locals believe this is the ghost of the witch taking revenge.

Because of these stories, Matt Damon was very afraid of seeing women with disheveled hair and wearing tattered robes when he was a child.

"Look, there's also the Connecticut haunted house incident reported by 'The Tribune.' The haunted house was originally a morgue, and there would be strange noises every night. The police investigated for two consecutive months but couldn't find the cause.

This is a paranormal event and unsolved mystery jointly certified by the government and the media. Matt, maybe there really are ghosts in the world."

Ben Affleck looked at the empty villa and couldn't help but move closer to Matt Damon.

"Don't scare yourself. Have you been watching too much of this kind of news lately? Your head is full of ghost stories?"

Matt Damon pushed him away and poured himself a glass of juice.

"It's not that I want to watch it. I don't know why, but these days there are many reports about witch ghost incidents in the newspaper, and they are written very well. Every time I see it, I can't help but want to read it."

"Watch less of it. It's not good for you. How's the script I gave you coming along?"

"'Geronimo: An American Legend'?"

"That's right. This movie is a big project produced by Columbia Pictures, directed by Walter Hill. The film needs several young male supporting roles, and we are all very suitable. Auditions are next week, and I hope you can participate together, preferably pass the audition together."

"I remember that there is also a doctor who knows witchcraft in this script, the medicine man who was killed by the colonists, who is also the key figure leading to Geronimo's rebellion. Do you think there are really people in the world who can use witchcraft to cure diseases?"

"Enough! Stop talking about witchcraft. What we should be considering now is work. If we don't work, we'll be wandering the streets.

Ben, don't forget our purpose in coming to Hollywood, which is to become movie stars, the kind of men who make girls scream when they walk down the street, not to tell ghost stories here."

Matt Damon grabbed Ben Affleck's shoulders and shook him, threw the newspaper in his hand on the ground and stomped on it a few times.

"Ben, don't forget that we still have a goal, to catch up with Link in the shortest possible time.

Link's first movie sold more than 60 million US dollars in global box office. The second movie has been completed and will be released in a while. What about us? What are we doing? We haven't done anything except drink and pick up girls during this time."

"What's your hurry? Don't worry. Haven't we been auditioning recently? We haven't been playing every day.

Besides, haven't you seen the newspaper? Link's new movie seems to be very bad. Nearly half of the producers and film company representatives walked out midway through the internal screening.

Famous producer Fred Olen publicly called Link's new movie a big bad movie. We don't need to put too much pressure on ourselves. Maybe we don't chase, and Link will slowly retreat behind us."

Ben Affleck said with a relaxed face.

"No matter what Link's new movie is like, what he is doing now is working hard to make good movies and become a more professional director.

In addition, Link said before shooting the new movie that the second movie was an attempt. Even if it fails, it is an exploration of success. If we fail a few more times, we will definitely become more successful in the future. What about us? We didn't do anything. Do you think we can catch up with Link by lying at home like this?"

Matt Damon shouted, waving his fist.

"Okay, okay, don't get excited. Let's read the script now."

In order not to let Matt Damon go berserk, Ben Affleck took out the script and began to rehearse, practicing his lines.

But before the two could practice for long, Ben Affleck's 17-year-old brother, Casey Affleck, came to the villa.

Casey Affleck is on summer vacation in his second year of high school and came to Los Angeles to play and live in the villa rented by the two.

"Hey, Matt, Ben, do you believe in ghosts? The 'Los Angeles Times' says that paranormal events often occur in the Museum of Death on Hollywood Boulevard. When are we going to take a look?"

Casey Affleck shouted on the lawn.

"No! And don't talk to me about paranormal events. I get annoyed when I hear this word now."

Matt Damon said, covering his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

Casey Affleck asked in confusion.

"It's nothing. Matt is timid. Don't scare him."

Ben Affleck laughed jokingly.

Thanks to book friend 'Hua Liudao' for the reward.